The Lost Sister
by shannonclarke
Summary: Rapunzel struggles with her daily monarchical duties, and it is only with her family surrounding her that she manages to cope. But when the arrival of another young woman who claims to be another daughter of the King and Queen of Corona threatens the status-quo, Rapunzel starts to suspect that her 'sister' has a deeper secret than she will let on.
1. Chapter 1

Rapunzel stretched as she woke from her peaceful slumber, disturbed by the sudden light streaming in through the windows of the castle. Despite the awakening, she smiled, excited instantly for the day's events that were to follow soon.

She turned to look at the man sleeping next to her, and her grin instantly broadened. No matter how many days passed, she could not get over just how much she was in love with Eugene, and how much he was in love with her too. He was still sleeping, snoring delicately, and still as handsome as when he was awake. Rapunzel put her soft hand onto his cheek, feeling the stubble staring to protrude through his skin, and she leaned down to kiss him on his forehead.

There was a slight knock on the bedroom door, and Rapunzel jumped out of the bed with excitement at greeting the guest. She knew that it would be the maid bringing her her mail, but the organisation of the palace servants meant that the letters were delivered to her ten minutes before breakfast was to be served. Her stomach growled slightly at the thought of food almost ready downstairs, and she padded across the room, resisting the urge to break into a sudden run.

Rapunzel pulled the door open quietly, and saw the maid, Sarah, the other side. The two grinned at each other as fond friends do. Rapunzel put her finger to her lips.

"Eugene is still sleeping." She whispered with a delightful grin, and Sarah nodded, accepting the request of her silence.

Rapunzel tugged the door open wider, and she was thankful that the ornate wood did not make a sound. Sarah swiftly entered the room with a pack of letters, bound with string and sealed with wax.

Rapunzel skipped ahead and sat at her desk. Sarah put her letters down before her, and then put Eugene's beside them.

Sarah curtseyed at Rapunzel, and then with a slight wink at her, she turned gracefully and walked back out, pulling the door shut after her retreating figure.

Rapunzel checked on Eugene to check that he had no awakened as the door clicked shut, and she was satisfied that he was still asleep. She turned back, and slowly pulled the string, untying the knot that bound the requests of the people together. When released, they then collapsed into an untidy pile.

Rapunzel picked up the letter that was closet to the top of the pile, and swiftly peeled it open. She unfolded the letter, enjoying the sound of the paper scratching against itself, but instantly hating the reality that she may have to deny yet another person the help that she longed to give them. It was hard aiding to the ruling of a Kingdom, especially as she knew that so frequently she could not make all those who wrote to her happy.

Rapunzel started to read the letter carefully, marvelling in the flow of the words:

_"My dearest Princess Rapunzel of Corona,_

_I fear for the land which I own, and I fear for my family. A neighbouring landowner tells me lies. I am told that he owns the land in which I live and work, and he requests that I must provide my produce to he, and he alone. I run a small market stall within Corona, and it is here that I sell the products which are birthed on my land. I barely make enough money each week with my produce, and now, if I am to give all my produce to the man, I shall be left without income, and my wife and children will starve._

_I write because I require your help urgently in this case. I must know if what the landowner says is true, and if so, with your help, I look for a settlement with my family and land to continue my work._

_If you are able to help me, my Princess, I will be forever in your gratitude._

_Your loyal servant,_

_Caleb Lewis"_

Rapunzel was astonished at the circumstance that was lay before her, written so humbly and with desperate resorts. She stared with wonder at the consequences that were laid out before her for the man - starvation... he would lose his wife... his children! Deaths would be on her hands if such a thing happened. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

Rapunzel jumped as she felt a hand slip around her shoulders softly. For a split second, she panicked, but when she looked up and into the mirror above her desk, she saw it was Eugene, who had awakened whilst she was reading the letter.

She relaxed instantly as he held her comfortingly, and he kissed her head softly, looking into her eyes through the mirror. He smiled at her, full of love and affection.

"Good morning, my love." He said softly.

Rapunzel reached up behind her and touched his cheek like she did when she woke. "Good morning, Eugene."

Eugene looked down at the stack of letters and his smile wavered slightly. "Shall we get ready to go to breakfast?"

Rapunzel nodded and then stood up. Eugene pulled her into a soft embrace, and then started to walk away from her slowly towards their bathroom. "Whatever you read in that letter just, don't worry about it. We shall talk after breakfast."

Rapunzel quirked a smile. "Who says the words were a cause of worry?"

Eugene paused before he was about to close the door. "Your beautiful eyes give you away often, my Love." He said.


	2. Chapter 2

Rapunzel skipped ahead of Eugene into the dining room where the King and Queen were already sat, waiting for their daughter and son-in-law to enter. The bright blue of Rapunzel's dressed blurred past them, stopping for just a moment to kiss the both of them on the cheek, and then suddenly she was stationary at her seat, marvelling at the array of food lay out before them.

Eugene approached more slowly, bowing to the monarchs each and then sitting down himself in the centre of the table, opposite the Queen.

Rapunzel giggled with excitement, her stomach growling slightly, and the Queen suddenly burst into her high and comforting laugh.

"My darling Rapunzel, if you want to start eating, you can!" She said, her voice soft and friendly.

Rapunzel instantly starting to pound food onto her plate, and the King, Queen and Eugene all watched her with some amusement before turning to their own plates and starting to load it with food.

"So..." The King started, leaning back in his chair with a piece of ham wrapped in bread tucked into his hand for him to eat. "Do you two have any serious plans for today?"

Eugene looked to Rapunzel, giving her the opportunity to answer, but with her face stuffed with food he decided it would be better for he to answer the question. He turned back to the king with a smile on his face. "Not that we have discussed, father."

The King's eyes narrowed into creases as he suddenly smiled broadly.

"Well, that's good!" He said. The King shifted in his seat and moved closer into the table, chewing on the sandwich in his hand. "Perhaps you two would like to escort us today?"

Rapunzel swallowed the hunk of meat that she was chewing. "That would be delightful, papa. Where is it that you are going?"

"Your father instantly delivers the message that our outing is more excitable than part of our duties, my dear." The Queen said, teasing the King. "We received a letter this morning about a situation in Corona's market hall, and it would be in our best interests to attend the events of today to make sure that such a situation does not arise again."

Rapunzel suddenly had an idea. "Papa, I do have one such idea in mind, that is somewhat similar to your plans."

"Oh?" He questioned, "What is it, my dear?"

Rapunzel slid her gaze to Eugene slightly for some source of comfort, and she got it when he pressed his hand to his facial hair and smiled subtly behind his hand.

"Um... I received a letter this morning from one of the stall-holders, and I am worried for the well-being of he and his family, particularly his children."

The King sat upright in his seat, the crinkle in his eyes suddenly vanishing as he saw a sincerity in the words of his daughter. "Do you have this letter with you?" He asked authoritatively.

There was a sudden feeling of guilt when Rapunzel pulled the letter out of her dress pocket, but she decided it would be best to act as though she was not embarrassed or frightened of the rejection that could be imminent. With a letter, one could not tell the sincerity of the person who wrote, but it was her father who could. His brilliance as a King shone through in every royal affair.

Rapunzel stood up with the letter in her hand and she walked over to her father, producing the letter to him. He took it and opened it up. Instead of returning to her seat, Rapunzel sat down on the floor besides her mother's lap.

Her father read the letter quickly, his eyes dashing back and forth across the page. It was a wonder that he did not give himself a headache. Rapunzel looked up at Eugene, and he pulled a face at her quickly, causing her to giggle. Eugene's eyes shifted to look up at the Queen who had caught his childish action, and though she smiled, Eugene cleared his throat and continued eating his breakfast as though he had just been caught doing something wrong.

The King folded the letter back up carefully. "My dear, I do not think that this letter is as sincere as they claim it is."

"But-" Rapunzel started.

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel, but the person who writes is demanding our payment towards a new house for he and his family. We cannot allow such a thing."

"But what if they starve-"

"If we buy them a new establishment and farm out of our pocket, then how many others with manipulate the truth in order to do the same thing? It would be wrong for us to accept one person's request and then refuse any other's, especially when it is uncertain as to whether there is truth in their words." The King held out the letter for Rapunzel to take it back. She stood up and carefully took it out of his hands.

"But, papa, what if there _is _truth in this man's words? Then if his wife and children do starve, it will be my fault."

The King sighed, but it was the Queen that spoke up before he did.

"Rapunzel, my dear, we cannot buy this man a house for him to live in. It's not right. We can, however, check upon the reality of the situation." The Queen turned to her husband. "We'll send two commissioners down to this man, and they shall report back to us as soon as it is done. From there we can organise what will happen."

Rapunzel pulled her mother into a hug quickly, glad that her issues were being recognised. "Thank you." She whispered in her mother's ear, and then she turned around quickly and hugged her father too. "And thank you."

The King laughed warmly in her ear. "Whatever for?"

Rapunzel pulled away carefully and smiled. "For teaching me how to be a good ruler." She said, and kissed him on the cheek.

She returned to her seat as the King started to speak to Eugene. "So you will come with us today?"

"It would be an honour." Eugene answered on behalf of both he and Rapunzel. He turned towards his wife and the love of his life as she sat down. He winked playfully at her, then took a sip of his drink.

Little did Eugene know, he was not the only one to feel something wrong with the situation in Rapunzel's letter, though he refrained from adding more fuel to the fire.


	3. Chapter 3

Two men knocked on the wooden door that sat in front of the house in which the King had sent them. A letter was clutched in one man's hand, and the man other stood watch, eyes narrowed for even the slightest of movement that could bring disorder to their duties.

In the shade of the house, it had sudden got a lot colder, and the hairs along one of the commissioner's arms were standing on end, despite the thick fabric that stood between the bare skin and the cold air.

The commissioner knocked again, feeling somewhat impatient.

"Perhaps they are not in, John." The one watching said obviously.

John ignored him and raised his fist to knock for a third time on the door which seemed like it was decaying. Just as he was about to connect his bare knuckles, the door slowly creaked open, unveiling the house for the two men.

"Caleb Lewis?" John asked into the gloom, not risking stepping forwards due to the unusualness as no body stood in front of the door. John craned his neck to see if the person was simply just standing behind the door, but he could not make out a single figure. Frowning, he pulled back.

"Brett, there's no one in here."

"Don't be silly. The door just opened."

"The door may have just opened, but no one is in there."

Brett sighed, and slid himself between John and the door, stepping forwards into the darkness. "Hello?" He called into the house, waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust before stepping further into the household. John followed behind him quickly, his hand automatically resting on the rapier bound to his side.

The two of them moved through the house carefully, ready for the slightest sense of movement that could be an impending attack. Throughout it all, they called out for anyone to respond, and throughout it all, no one did.

John had searched the entire upstairs floor and he had found all bedrooms empty, and all under the beds clear. The house creaked and groaned as the two men walked through, almost as if it was not used to feeling such pressure - as if no one had lived there at all.

John returned downstairs to find Brett standing in the centre of the room. They looked at each other with confusion and a sense of hopelessness.

"Did you find anything?"

"Not a thing. And you?"

"No."

"Damned tricksters." Brett spat. He turned sharply on his heel and then made his way to the door.

John felt amused by Brett's clear annoyance, and he followed Brett out of the door. Suddenly, just before John was about to walk out, he heard the soft sounds of a woman weeping. He paused, listening intently to see if it was just his imagination that had heard the sound. Brett turned and looked at John from the comfort of the outside, and he cocked his head in confusion to John's actions.

"Come on, John. We need to tell the King-" He began.

"Shush." John said, putting out his hand to quieten his friend. Brett rolled his eyes and walked into the house once again, intent on dragging the man out if he had to.

As soon as he stepped inside of the room, the weeping became suddenly louder, and instead of grabbing John by the scruff of his neck, he halted in his tracks and listened also. Both of them turned their heads in the direction of the upstairs, where they both sourced the sound from coming from.

Brett slip his gaze to John. "I thought you checked upstairs." He said, automatically climbing up to go to the woman.

"I did." John protested. "There was no one up there. I swear."

Brett ignored him and once again began calling out for any form of communication with the alleged person within the house. John ran up the stairs, following Brett yet another time.

The two of them searched the enclosed space, and came up empty handed. Their confusion stretched as they stood, dumbfounded, at the top of the stairs, constantly hearing the woman sobbing.

"It is definitely louder up here." Brett pointed out, and John cast him a look that told him he already knew. They paused, still listening, and then eventually and slowly, the two of them turned towards a small door tucked away in the corner of the hallway. They waited for a moment, and then John walked forwards towards it. The closer he got, the louder the woman's cries resounded around the rooms, drowning out the dying sounds of the creaking wooden house.

John reached a hand out, the other still tight around his sword, and he touched the cold handle, feeling it bite into his skin like ice. He waited until Brett was directly behind him, before he slowly pulled the door open.

A 'woosh' of air greeted the two of them, and more darkness clung to every crevice of the new room that sat before them. A single, green lamp sat in the centre of the room, illuminated a perfect circle on the floor, and John was just able to identify two slender feet positioned just within the light. The rest of the figure that accompanied it was concealed within the darkness.

John and Brett paused at the door, staring in in wonder. The crying of the woman had suddenly stopped, and then steadily, two grey eyes turned to face them men, oddly bright within the surrounding atmosphere.

"Can you help me?" A young voice asked desperately.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author note: hi guys just wanted to let you know something real quick!**

**So, until my exams are over (next month) I have asked my mom to keep my laptop away from me to avoid procrastination :) because of this, in order to post the next chapters, I am having to type them up on my phone and then post them up, which means that it is going to take a lot of time for me to do it! However, I am still going to post every day but I have a little rota going on: Monday and Thursday and Friday there will be no updates, but there will be one continuously on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and then 2 on Sunday. Hope this makes sense!**

**Also, I just want to thank you for the support you've given me with this story, even though it is still in its early stages! It means a lot, and you're all just so awesome!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy :) **

**(Apologies for any mistakes - predictive text is the fastest way, but not the most convenient!)**

Rapunzel was among the books in the library, reading desperately from the bound leather, letting the soft words flow through her mind. She engrossed in every word, finding her pledge to reading just one chapter quickly forgotten.

She heard the rapid pattering and clangs as one of the royal guards ran forwards in search of her. Hearing the commotion, she closed the book with quiet regret, and stood, ready to receive her visitor, and curious towards the urgency in his stride.

The guard rounded the corner, with Eugene at his heels. Rapunzel looked at them with confusion, as the guard struggled to speak as he attempted to regain his faltering breath. Rapunzel put her hand out to steady the man who looked as though he were about to collapse, and she turned to Eugene with worry etched onto her face.

"Eugene, what's happening?" She asked.

"I think you need to come and see for yourself," He told her. "The King and Queen are waiting."

Rapunzel almost ran, the worry built up inside of her urging her forwards. She barrelled into the throne room before the guard and Eugene, who struggled to keep up with her. The entire procession within turned to look at her, and there was a sudden awkward silence, as if she had just walked into the room when everyone was talking about her.

Rapunzel stepped forwards and towards her mother and father, sat on their chairs with stern expressions on their faces. They looked lost in thought.

There was a slender girl stood before them, and it was her that was the reason that Rapunzel had been called for. The figure was only slightly taller than Rapunzel's own frame, but Rapunzel failed to recognise who she was, though she understood the importance in her presence.

"Rapunzel, darling," the Queen called over, and Rapunzel pulled her eyes away from the woman. "Do come here."

Rapunzel obeyed instantly, and made her way up the steps towards the small chair that was her own, beside her mother on the podium. Eugene took his place behind Rapunzel, standing protectively over her.

Rapunzel looked at the two men standing beside of the woman. Their expressions were grave, and only one of them stared at Rapunzel, but with a scepticism behind his eyes that she ended up having to turn her head away intimidated.

"What is your name, my dear?" The King asked softly.

"Annalynne." She said confidently, maintaining eye contact with the king at all times. "Annalynne Fredrickson. At least, that was how I was brought up."

"And how old are you, Annalynne?"

"22."

The King's eyes widened slightly and he shifted in his chair as if the news distrubed him. He turned his attention to the two men either side of Annalynne and spoke once again. "Where did you find her?"

"In the old house, my King. The one you sent us to with Princess Rapunzel's letter."

Rapunzel sat up suddenly, instantly understanding why she had been called down from her peace.

"The one about the farmer and his family?" She asked suddenly.

The guard appeared surprised that Rapunzel had spoken, and he turned to her quickly. "Yes, my Lady."

"Well, what did you find out?" Rapunzel lurched even further forwards, practically ready to fall out of her seat.

"N-nothing, my Lady. Just this woman."

Rapunzel frowned, and sat back in her chair. She could not comprehend the situation before her, and it left her feeling used for her sensitivity.

"And why have you brought her to us, commissioner Brett?"

The commisssioner cleared his throat awkwardly, and stared at the king with a placid expression on his face. "She says, your Highness, that she is your daughter."

There was a collective gasp around the court and then murmurs and shouts of anger and confusion. Rapunzel suddenly felt out of place, confused, realising that she hardly knew anything about her family. She felt a hand on her shoulder and a soft squeeze came through the comfort of her husbands warm hand.

"Don't do anything." He said having bent low to Rapunzel's ear so that only she could hear him. "It is only a claim."

"Am I being named an imposter?" Rapunzel whispered with fear that she waa going to lose her family again.

"No, she is just claiming to be part of your family."

The girl looked up to Rapunzel and held a steady gaze. The grey eyes bore into her, but there was an odd friendliness about them, as though she recognised her from long ago - something which would make sense if they were related. But Rapunzel could help but question why her parents never spoke of such things considering the seriousness of the issue.

"My dear," The Queen started, bringing an order back into the room. "Your claims mean nothing to us. The King and I have but one daughter, and she sits beside me today." The Queen reached across and held Rapunzel's hand, smiling comfortingly. When she turned back, the softness was gone from her face. She stared harshly at Brett and the other commissioner. "Take her back to where you found her. But know this, Annalynne Fredrickson: if you lay claim to this family again or stir up any other petty lies, then you shall be exhiled out of Corona and never allowed to return."

Rapunzel was shocked to see her mother so harsh, but she could understand with such a long-term pain as losing just one child had been for her; for someone to lay another claim to a mother's love was easily interpreted as a lost cause.

The two commissioners clasped the arms of Annalyne and started to pull her out of the room. Instantly, the girl began to shout in defiance.

"WAIT! PLEASE! Many years ago you travelled abroad to Gurita, and it was there you had me! But you believed I was dead when you birthed me and I was taken away from you-"

"STOP." The Queen shouted, standing up suddenly. Everything stilled. The two commissioners stopped pulling and Annalynne stopped fighting. The attendants of the court stopped shouting. Everything went silent. Everything went still.

The Queen moved forwards down the step.

"Mother?" Rapunzel began, but the Queen ignored her with a hasty hand signal.

The Queen stood frowning on the steps and she glared down at the girl before her.

"How do you know these things?"

Annalynne had tears starting to creep down her face. "Because I am your daughter." She said in a whisper. "I was taken away from you by the nurse, but just as she was about to get rid of me, I awoke. The King of Gerita refused to let her give me back to you, and banned me from returning to Corona until I was at least twenty-one, for he wanted me to marry one of his sons and conquer the kingdom. Alas, the old King died and he never had any sons, so I did not marry, and when I was twenty my mother - the nurse - told me the truth."

There was a long silence as the company processed the information that they had just been given. The Queen looked weak suddenly, and she stumbled. Rapunzel jumped to her side as a woman in the court screamed in a panicked frenzy. Rapunzel held her mother as she collpased onto the steps, overcome with emotion. Eugene leaned over Rapunzel, clutching the Queen's hand. The King stood up.

"Enough! ENOUGH!" He shouted desperately. "EVERYONE OUT NOW!" The crowd scurried away. "Except for you, commissioners. And you, Annalynne."

Rapunzel stared at her mother with worry. "Mother, are you alright?" Rapunzel shuddered at the fearful situation and worried for her mother, who looked as though she was in some form of wonderous pain. She stared only at Annalynne, visible to her only just behind Eugene's shoulder.

"She's alive?" She asked, disorientated and confused. "My baby is alive?"


	5. Chapter 5

The heavy doors were closed, the loud thumping sound echoing around the now empty room. The King stared long and hard at Annalynne, as she watched cautiously the woman who was biologically her mother.

"Brett. John. Take the Queen to her quarters immediately and make sure the maid Gwenda stays with her until I arrive." The King said. John and Brett, the two commissioners, removed their hands from the arms of Annalynne and swiftly saluted the King. Warmly, they guided the Queen to her feet and out of the room, where the heavy doors cut the noise of the outside world out once more. As she was being tugged away, she continuously stared at the scraggled figure.

Eugene gave his hand out to Rapunzel and aided her up from crouching on the floor. Instead of sitting down like Eugene expected her to, Rapunzel walked towards Annalynne. She searched her face for some form of similarity between her own, but she struggled to place any similar features to the scrambled aspect of her mind as she attempted to process at least some of the information that she had just been delivered moments before.

Rapunzel stopped before Annalynne and studied her features. She looked worn put from what looked like a long life of labour, as she had dirt upon her face in layered streaks. Her eyes were heavy with the tale of sleepless nights, and her skin was darkened from the sun. She was also too skinny, Rapunzel thought, but it was the eyes that seemed so similar to Rapunzel's own despite the odd difference in colours. Grey and green, but both wide and beautiful.

Annalynne mimicked Rapunzel's actions as she too explored Rapunzel's features. Finally, they voth looked in each others eyes with deploring affection.

"Are you really my sister?" Rapunzel whispered.

Annalynne smiled, the emotion reaching her as tears once more blurred into her eyes. "Yes." she whispered back.

Rapunzel turned back to the king who watched with fascination lighting his face. The King looked at Rapunzel, and nodden slowly.

The excitement took over Rapunzel as she turned back to Annalynne, and the two of them pushed themselves together in a desperate hug that welcomed Annalynne instantly into the royal family once more, back where she belonged. The King stepped forwards, and Annalynne and Rapunzel pulled apart. Annalynne looked over Rapunzel's shoulder, seeing the King approach, and instinctively she ran forwards towards him. She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. The King, caught off guard, froze for just a second, and then his arms wound around his daughter and he held her close and protectively. The King looked up at Rapunzel, and she too joined in the small hug.

Eugene watched them from up on the steps. He smiled as the Royal family received yet another blessing, but then he worried for Rapunzel too. He worried how she would receive this secretive nature of her parents, and that fact that in the end, she barely knew anything about any of them.

Eugene felt a tickle on his leg, and he lookrd down to see Pascal, Rapunzel's old friend chameleon, clamouring quickly up. Pascal quickly found his way to Eugene's shoulder, and sat there resolutely. He frowned across the room at the scene of the father and two daughters reconciled once again, though Eugene found that the chameleon always looked like he was frowning. It was something that constantly humoured Eugene.

Pascal saw a fly buzzing over heard, and with a quick snap of his tongue the disgusting hunt was already partly consumed. Eugene recoiled in disgust as Pascal suddenly spat the half eaten fly onto the floor.

"See," Eugene said to the small creature. "This is why I don't like you all that much."

Pascal turned and glared at Eugene, then, unhappy with the feast, he turned and scurried back down Eugene's leg.

The two girls and the King pulled apart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author note: hi guys I kust want to thank you all again for your amazing responses throughout this story, it really does mean so much to be that you are liking it as much as I am liking writing it! Let me know what you think about this chapter - I think this one is my favourite so far!**

* * *

The commissioners had been sent to see if Annalynne's stories had been true, and a month later they had returned with the news that everything Annalynne had said about her life was indeed honest.

The Kingdom had been rounded in a week's futher celebration at the arrival of the new princess and heir to Corona. Rapunzel felt ecstatic as the celebrations swinged into vivid and bright hopefulness towards the future Queen. She rushed around, dancing and laughing with her people - and now her sister's people - and on several occassions did she forget the cause for celebration, for she never saw Annalynne for the majority of the week.

It was on the fifth day that they finally bumped into each other. Both of them had smiled at each other brightly and then pulled the other into a hug. Rapunzel giggled.

"Are you having fun, dear sister?" Annalynne asked warmly.

"Oh yes! You must come and see this!" Rapunzel cried, dragging her older sibling by the hand and tugging her in the centre of a large crowd.

"What is it?" Annalynne shouted over the cheering of the crowd as the two of them stood opposite each other. Rapunzel started to chuckle with her excitement, and then suddenly the music kicked in, a fast paced squiggle of the fiddle droning out through the centre square. Annalynne froze with hesitation: "You want me to dance?" She called over the ruckus. Rapunzel threw her head back with laughter, and then started to dance in front of Annalynne merrily to the sound of the music, letting it possess her limps and glide her through the open space. Annalynne watched with amusement and amazement as Rapunzel poured her laughter into each step, not caring if she looked ridiculous. Rapunzel stopped suddenly and looked to Annalynne. The crowd were clapping to the beat of the music and Rapunzel joined in as she took a step back, leaving the space open to Annalynne. Annalynne shook her head and laughed. "Oh, no." She said, "I'm not dancing, Rapunzel." She took a step back as if to prove her point. Rapunzel lunged after her and pulled her hands so that she came back into the circle. Annalynne blushed with embarrassment.

"I'll dance with you then." Rapunzel declared, and the music suddenly picked up speed. Rapunzel coaxed Annalynne into moving, and then they started to bounce to the beat of the music, throwing themselves gracefully around and around. Members of the crowd suddenly started to join in the circle, mimicking the unroutined dance of Rapunzel and Annalynne, and everyone within the vicinity was laughing with great amusement of the two sister-princesses not taking themselves seriously.

The music seemed to come to a close all too quickly, and everyone ended their dance with a mighty cheer of good spirit.

Annalynne laughed and tried to keep her breath steady. "Where on Earth do you get all of your energy?" She said.

Rapunzel laughed and did not answer the question, for at that moment, two hands grabbed her waist and hauled her up into the air. Rapunzel screamed from the sudden shock, but she looked at Annalynne who smiled happily. When she saw that, she knew who had hold of her.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel yelled. "Eugene, put me down now!"

Eugene laughed warmly in her ear, but obeyed her desperate request. She turned around to playfully scald him, but before any words could erupt from her mouth, Eugene placed his lips warmly on hers. Rapunzel's heart soared and she wrapped her arms around his neck, accepting the kiss. They stayed together for a moment, and then Eugene pulled away.

"The King has called for me, so I'm heading back to the palace." He told her.

"Okay, we'll be back soon."

Eugene smiled and kissed her quickly once again. He looked up to Annalynne and bowed respectfully at her. As he stood back up, he winked. "Look after her." He joked. "She gets into all kinds of trouble."

Rapunzel faked being hurt the comment, scoffing dramatically. "Eugene!" He laughed, then turned and jogged his way back through the crowd, disappearing out of view as a mass of bodies suddenly encircled his path.

Rapunzel turned around to Annalynne, who was smiling warmly at her. Rapunzel skipped forwards, offering Annalynne the crook of her arm, and she took it carefully. They started to walk out of the street centre.

"You can see how much he loves you." Annalynne commented quietly. "And how much you love him too."

Rapunzel smiled at her statement, suddenly struggling to find the words to say. "I do love him. He makes me happier than anyone else ever could."

The two princesses fell silent for a while. The people who passed them gave a bright and hearty greeting, bowing suddenly and smiling brightly, which they both returned graciously.

"Papa and mother say I must consider finding someone like that." Annalynne said after some time of silence.

Rapunzel looked behind them, confused, the two of them having just stopped to give a poor old man some money to get himself a good drink. He was old and wiry, his hair sticking at odd ends and his back crooked from his constant stoop. Annalynne noticed Rapunzel's confusion through her lack of quick response, and when she looked to see what Rapunzel was looking at she could not help but laugh out loud at the silliness of the misunderstanding.

"I mean I must find someone who makes me happy!"

"Oh!" Rapunzel exclaimed, falling into an ecstacy of laughter. "You mean you must find yourself a husband! I understand now!"

"Yes, a husband." Annalynne went quiet suddenly as she thought, and Rapunzel refrained from speaking. "Mother and papa have organised suitors to visit the Kingdom, so perhaps I will be happy with one of them."

Rapunzel nodded in agreement. The two women reached the bridge which provided the entrance into the Kingdom, and they stopped halfway across it, staring out into the river flushing below them. "Perhaps you will, yes."

Annalynne turned to Rapunzel with a worried expression marring her face. "But what if that does not happen? What if I do not like any of them, or none of them like me?"

"You will find someone," Rapunzel said comfortingly. "Whether it be in these suitors, or in another person who you just happen to meet one day. But that is not a priority when you are heir to the throne. Your priority is the people you command, and your priority is caring for them - and you are able to do that both with and without a husband by your side." Rapunzel pulled her sister into a hug. "It's your life, Annalynne. You must do what makes you happy, no matter what."

They hugged each other, one sourcing comfort and the other giving it, but they pulled apart quixkly when the trumpet sounded, calling them back to the palace.

"Come on." Rapunzel smiled, pulling away. "We need to get back. Perhaps mother and papa have some news."

"Perhaps, " Annalynne agreed quietly.

Rapunzel skipped off ahead towards the palace. Annalynne walked quietly behind her, lost deep in her thoughts.

She did not hear the old woman behind her approach, but her stomach turned suddenly when the rasped voice sounded. "You are doing well, child."

Annalynne shuddered. "Speak with me tonight?" She asked, continuing to walk as if she were not speaking to the frail figure behind her.

"You know where to find me." The voice cracked, and Annalynne felt a whisp of air as the person disappeared away from her.

Annalynne breathed heavily to steady her beating heart, and then she started to climb the wired hill up to the palace.


	7. Chapter 7

Rapunzel sighed against Eugene's chest, gently stroking the soft fabric of his shirt with her fingers delicately and rhythmically. He held her, and he in turn stroked her arm. The two of them were sat in their bed, both of them having retired early from the long day of celebration, and both equally as exhausted as the other.

Eugene closes the book that he was reading and looked down at Rapunzel., sensing her though process.

"What's the matter, my love?" He asked her.

Rapunzel did not realise that she had sighed so heavily, and she looked up at Eugene. "Oh, no. It's nothing," She smiled briefly, and then turned her head back away, her cheek resting against his chest once again.

Eugene rolled his eyes with a small grin at the stubbornness of his wife, then placed the book back onto the bedside. He shimmied himself down the bed so that they both lay side by side, and Eugene looked at her lovingly.

Rapunzel blushed under Eugene's intense gaze, finding herself lost a world away in those light brown eyes which seemed to shine only for her. He stared at her, waiting for her to tell him the truth about what she was feeling.

"Come on," he said to her, "spit it out!"

Rapunzel shrugged. "I don't have anything to say, though."

"Well..." Eugene reached a hand out and placed it on her cheek carefully, touching her soft skin. "Something is on your mind."

Rapunzel paused, enjoying the warming feeling of Eugene's hand on her face, and tears pricked her eyes delicately though she quickly brushed them away.

"You'll think that I am just stupid." She muttered.

Eugene shrugged. "Maybe I will." He said, and Rapunzel laughed delicately, but continued to lie in silence. "Come on, Rapunzel. You can tell me, and I swear," Eugene held his hand up to make a point, "I won't say a word unless you ask me too."

Rapunzel rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling, staring at the extravagant pictures above her head or cherubs and angels and all other forms of fantastical natures.

"Do you ever feel like our enemies are still close?"

Eugene's smiled faltered and he sat up quickly, leaning on his elbows and looking down at her. "What do you mean?"

"See..." Rapunzel said, taking her hands to her face and hiding her eyes briefly. "Told you it was stupid."

"No, Rapunzel..." Eugene pulled her hands away and sat up straight on the bed. "What do you mean? Explain to me."

Rapunzel briefly struggled to form the words in her mind, but when she did, they seemed to come out all in a rush. "Sometimes I feel like Gothel is still around, and that she is coming for me somehow. And even that she is coming for you. In fact, it feels like everyone who we have had issues with at some stage is coming to get us, and it feels like we are more in danger than before." She breathed heavily a sigh of relief as her thoughts were eradicated from her mind and into the air quickly.

Eugene shuffled forwards, frowning deeply. He worried about Rapunzel's thoughts, for they sounded more genuine than he hoped despite the oddity in the situations she invented.

Eugene took Rapunzel's hands and pulled her up so that she was sitting up with him on the bed. She crossed her legs and looked down into her lap as if she were a child about to get scalded, but what she feared was looking into the eyes of Eugene and seeing how much of an idiot she sounded to him.

"Rapunzel..." He said softly, pulling her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes. "Gothel isn't still around, and even if she were, there would be no way that I would ever let her get to you." His jaw tightened with anger as he recalled the last instance with her, and the ultimate fear that he had when he saw Rapunzel subjected being a hostage for the rest of her life. He was tempted to add 'Not after last time' to reinforce his point, but chose that such words were better left unsaid, for it could upset Rapunzel more and made him more tempered. "She fell from the tower, Rapunzel. There is no way that anyone could survive that."

"I know, it sounds stupid." Rapunzel groaned and could not help but laugh at herself too.

"It's been years, Rapunzel. I do have to say, it does sound a little bit crazy."

Rapunzel nodded in agreement. Eugene stood up suddenly, and Rapunzel looked at him worriedly with wide eyes. "If it will make you feel better, perhaps I should talk to the King. We might be able to get receive a couple of guards to watch over us, if it really does make you worry that much."

Rapunzel tutted, "No guards. We don't have any now so getting some would just seem to highlight the issue that we have."

Eugene shrugged, and he took Rapunzel's hands again. He pulled her up and hugged her tightly. "I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you, all right? I promise you that."

"I'm worried for you more than I am for myself." Rapunzel confessed.

Eugene smiled at that. "You're worried for me? Please, do you know who I am?" He flicked his hair playfully and Rapunzel laughed briefly, holding him tighter instinctively.

"I'm well aware of who you are, Eugene, but I'm worried because I've had you die in my arms once before and I'm not prepared to have the same thing like that happen again."

Eugene went silent then, staring at Rapunzel sternly, sensing how much their past experiences had hurt one another deeper than they both seemed to realise. He sighed heavily, unable to find the words to comfort her, for he knew he could not tell her that he would not die again as such a thing would be an impossibility. He held her head and started to stroke her hair softly. He bent his head and kissed the top of hers softly, and then he found his voice.

"I love you so much, Rapunzel, and I will never let anyone hurt you."

Rapunzel's hand moved to Eugene's side, to where he had been stabbed before. There was no scar, for it had healed perfectly, and it was only the two of them that bore the memory of the fatal day - the two of them never having confessed what had happened to another soul. Rapunzel mumbled into Eugene's clothing, "I love you too. And I will never allow anyone to harm you. Ever." She declared. "I promise."

* * *

**Author note: Hi guys, so as you know from a couple of posts ago I'm meant to do two chapters today, and I have started to write the next chapter but I am really not feeling well :( I thought I would write this to just let you know. Also, I was just wondering what you all thought about Annalynne? Do you like her as a character? What do you think her role will be? I'm interested to know what you think, so if you can let me know, please do! I'd really appreciate it.**

**Anyway, because of feeling so bad, I've uploaded this chapter and will continue to upload the rest properly throughout the week because of the single limit, so what was meant to be today's will be tomorrow instead. Sorry for breaking the plan already :(**


	8. Chapter 8

Annalynne stood straight and reserved as she waited inside of the old woman's shop for her to appear. It was late at night, and Annalynne had snook out of the castle, dodging the numerous guards that roamed the halls just to come down to see the woman. There was little light in the room that she stood in, only the flickering of the light stretching out the darkness that surrounded her.

She heard a door creak and moan behind her, and she turned to look at the door that entered into the shop, ready to tell the visitor that it was actually after hours. She became confused when the stooped figure entered, though she recognised the rasping breath as that of the old woman whom she was waiting for.

Annalynne remained silent and prim, expecting her visit to be little less than ten minutes. She watched the woman shut the door carefully, and locked it, and then she turned around.

The crinkled skin contorted through the flickering of the flames beside them both, but then the wicked smile proclaimed possession of the woman's features. Annalynne felt her skin run cold, and her heart started to beat dramatically. She worried that she would be found by someone from the palace, but the woman seemed the least bit panicked.

"No one followed you, so that is good." She mumbled, shuffling across the room slowly. She was by the door at the far side of the room when she realised that Annalynne was not following. "Come, come." She said, waving her hand quickly. Annalynne looked behind her quickly through the window, then turned and made her way into the back rooms behind the woman.

It was in there that the woman took off her heavy red cloak and hung it up on the rack right beside the door. She continued in her procession, moving further into the room.

"You look a good deal better since the last time that I saw you." The woman commented, not halting in her stride. "You've washed."

Annalynne said nothing, only continued to walk behind the woman.

The woman pushed a further door open at the far end of the room, leading down into a basement that was excluded from any form of light, leaving it in a plunging darkness. In the distance, laughter could be heard, and Annalynne swallowed hard despite her dry throat. She hated going into the inns, even more so since she was now so cautious about her own identity being discovered by the numerous people that would surround her. They always appeared such violent places, even before she proclaimed her place as princess in the royal household, so how she would be received now was something with which she was not willing to consider.

She tightened the strings to her cloak, and walked down the steps. As she passed, the old woman flashed a gapped toothy grin. Annalynne continued to walk, and she heard the dramatic closing of the door above her, as if her fate had suddenly been sealed behind the dark piece of wood.

Despite the looming darkness, Annalynne was easily able to find her footing as she made her way down the stairs. She could hear the scurrying footsteps of the rats and the old woman as they all plummeted down the stairs at a fast pace.

Annalynne touched the ground floor and waited for the old woman to catch up with her, letting the woman go in front of herself to lead the way into the inn.

The warm orange glow of the hearths bloomed across the inn, and the sound suddenly hit Annalynne's ears with a crescendo of booming laughter. She shied away from the public - from her public - automatically, dragging the hood even further up her head despite the fact that it was blocking her dark skin in the shade anyway.

The old woman led Annalynne into the corner of the room, nodding briefly to the innkeeper as a warning for them to not be disturbed unless requested. The inn keeper nodded back, and pretended like he did not see a thing as the two new guests slipped quietly and practically unnoticed into their seats.

Annalynne cleared her throat nervously, and the old woman smiled at her through the masses of her thick grey hair that scrambled across each individual strand for supremacy on her wrinkled old head.

"Would you like a drink?" The woman asked politely, though her voice came across as sardonic through the sharp crack that echoed in their enclosed space.

"No." Annalynne said hurriedly, and the woman frowned with annoyance. Annalynne shuffled under the scrutinising gaze, panic running through her blood and beating against her brain. "No, thank you,"

The old woman sat forward in the chair briefly, waiting. Annalynne continued to sit upright as though she were about to vault out of the door at any moment, also waiting. Finally, it was the old woman who clapped her hands dramatically, causing Annalynne to jump.

"Well, well..." The old woman said, her voice sounding humoured. "I suppose you have been having a rather enjoyable time with your family, yes?"

Annalynne paused as she tried to find her voice. "It is nice to be with my family, yes." She said quaintly, looking down at the wooden table and the deep grooves that various soldiers who had sat at the table had made with their blades. She read numbers and strange symbols, and wondered what each of them could mean, but she decided not to question it to the knowledgeable woman sat opposite her as there were clearly other factors on both their minds that they wanted to discuss.

"And I suppose that you have been taking note of all of their actions, just like I told you too?"

"Yes. I keep a journal of what they do."

"And do you have it with you to show me?" The woman licked her lips hungrily, like a panther about to leap for her prey.

"No. It is in my room."

Visibly disappointed, the woman sat back in her seat. She stared cold and hard at Annalynne, who continued to watch the numerous symbols on the table as if they were about to suddenly start moving.

"I want to see it, Annalynne." She said sternly.

Annalynne burst in with a sudden apology that she could not contain: "I know, and I shall bring it to you, I promise - I'm sorry, it's just-"

The woman cut her off with a raised hand and Annalynne knew that she was not allowed to say much more. She feared the woman who sat before, though there was no escape from what she had already done. She had to do as the woman asked, for she knew that at the heart of it there would be deadly consequences for her in store.

"What is the reason you wished to see me?"

Annalynne breathed hard yet quietly in an attempt to calm her erratic heart, and after several seconds it worked. She trusted herself on making herself sound strong and confident, and only then did she speak.

"The King and Queen are talking about finding me a husband."

The woman cackled, sending an ice blade running up and down Annalynne's bones, chilling her right to her heart. Annalynne watched her in confusion, and then the old woman suddenly wiped a tear from her wrinkled eyes. "I am shocked to not hear you call them mummy and daddy yet. You seem rather fond of them to even be considering that events will get that far."

Annalynne flushed with guilt.

"Oh, please, child, don't act like you care already when you have known them not even a full two months. My dear, you have known me longer than that."

Annalynne thought of harsh words to spit back into the face of the woman opposite but then considered them better left unsaid. No matter what, she had no choice nor say in the matters at hand, and she would rather not discover what would happen should she disobey even in the slightest measure.

The old woman sighed through Annalynne's lack of response and then sat forwards in her chair, speaking in hushed tones once again as they became conspirational in their discussions.

"If you worries you plenty, my dear, then we shall arrange a meeting with another one of my... clients. You shall choose him as your _husband_, and that way everyone will be happy. I shall make sure that he has the same objective as us."

"He has the same objective as you." Annalynne said in spite despite her best efforts to contain herself. She looked up quickly with worry and flushed with relief when she realised that the old woman had not heard her truthful words.

"Now, is there anything else?"

Annalynne shook her head, desperate to get out of the situation that she was sat in before she said something that she would really regret, before she said something just that little bit too loud, and before she got herself into a situation that she would not be able to get out of so easily.

She stood up ready to run out of the door, but the icy voice managed to halt her in her tracks. "Should you have to find a suitor, I shall send the man to be your husband directly to the castle."

"How will I know who he is?"

The woman smiled wickedly. "Because I'll be presenting him to you."

Annalynne felt her knees turn weak, and her heart skipped a beat in panic. The old woman noticed the change and stood up, placing her two skinny hands onto Annalynne's arms. "Do not worry so much. Everything will turn out fine in the end. Everything will turn out just the way that we want."

The woman paused, and then moved forwards ready to embrace Annalynne. She went to pull her horribly into an awkward hug of comfort, but Annalynne brushed on the wicked hands quickly and then turned on her heel and ran out of the door before any intimacy between herself and the old woman could be received.

She ran straight through the palace having snook back in without any of the guards noticing just like when she had left earlier that evening. Her cloak flowed fast as she propelled through the long corridors, and then she finally reached her dark room. She pushed the door closed as quietly as she could manage, and then changed into her nightgown as though she had been in the room the entire time.

She crawled into her bed, and reached into her top draw, pulling out a small journal. She sat up in her bed, and opened the fragile pages, reading the words that she had wrote so far about the king, the queen, the princess and the prince consort. Racked with guilt at what she realised was to come from the happy beings, she started to sob, and she sobbed heavily until she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

The loud crack of knuckles on wood resounded around the constrained walls of Annalynne's bedroom. It took her several moments to awake from the harsh sounds, and yet when she did, she still remained disorientated and confused for a futher half-minute.

Her sudden awareness brought reality crashing back into her eyes, and she sat bolt upright in her bed, staring at the door.

"Enter!" She called.

Just a second later the door peeled open and one of the servants - Annalynne could never remember any names - scurried into the room. He bowed low, refusing to set his gaze upon the Princess still in bed, and still in her nightdress.

"My Lady, the King and Queen have set me to call upon you." He glanced up breifly and then looked back down once again. "They request your attendance, and they have also asked me to inform you to dress for the day."

"Thank you." Annalynne said quickly, suddenly despising the young man's presence and wanting to be left alone. "You may leave me now, and tell the King and Queen I shall be with them soon."

The man bowed again, though how such a thing were possible given his already dented frame was a thought that briefly ran through Annalynne's mind but was not explored any further. He disappeared out of the door.

Annalynne stood up feeling numb to the day. It was bright outside from the orange gleam of the sunlight, and birds could be heard discussing new lyrics to an old tune. She noticed the small book which she had fallen asleep with open and to the side of her, and her heart skipped a beat as she worried for a second that the servant could have noticed the words she had wrote about her family. When she understood the impossibility of him having been able to read the text after a quick investigation to the distance, she hurriedly hid it inside her draw, acting like nothing had ever happened.

* * *

Rapunzel and Eugene were already awaken when the young man knocked on their bedroom door. Rapunzel had been laughing loudly at Eugene frolicking around the room to her amusement, and when the knock echoed, he quickly ducked through the doors on the other side of the room, protecting what little dignity he had left from the guest.

Rapunzel stemmed her laughter and moved towards the door to open it, tears of laughter blooming in her eyes and an extravagant smile valuing her features. Outside of the door stood a relatively new servant who had been in service little less than a month, but Rapunzel had taken to his youthfulness almost instantly and she found herself mothering the young boy at any opportunity they came to cross paths.

"Good morning, Peter." Rapunzel beamed at him.

Peter bowed low but felt the wamness of the Princess seep into his cheeka, causing him to flush red. "My Lady, the King and Queen require your presence as soon as possible - they are planning a trip with yourself, Princess Annalynne and Prince Eugene."

Eugene's head popped into view from the door suddenly and he shouted across the room before Rapunzel could give her own reply to the boy. "You hear that, Rapunzel?" He said jokingly, mocking their prior conversation. "The King and Queen want to see me. Perhaps I'm not as much of an embarrassment as you claim."

Rapunzel laughed and rolled her eyes, turning to look at Eugene "Perhaps you should come out here and say it."

Eugene winked at her, his head still levitating in the doorway. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Rapunzel shook her head in amusement and turned back to Peter. "Would that be all?"

"Y-yes, my Lady." Peter stuttered with awkwardness.

"Thank you, Peter. Let the King and Queen know we shall be down soon."

"Very well, my Lady."

Peter scurried away quickly and full of embarrassment. Rapunzel shut the door and turned around. Eugene suddenly skipped out of the room with a towel wrapped around himself. He picked up Rapunzel quickly, spun her around in his arms and kissed her quickly.

"And what if I had let the boy in?" Rapunzel questioned. "I highly doubt he would have been pleased to see so much of you."

Eugene scoffed in mock hurt: "What is that supposed to mean? Everyone loves looking at me!"

Rapunzel laughed, then pulled away his towel and dashed into the bathroom, locking the door quickly before Eugene could catch her.

* * *

The King and Queen looked to young Peter who stood close by, holding the horses reins for Rapunzel and Eugene. They still had not appeared despite Peter having called for them more than a half hour ago.

"Perhaps you should go see where they are, my lad." The King suggested kindly. "Perhaps they misunderstood where we were meant to be meeting them."

Peter nodded so much it looked as though he would lose his head. "I apologise, my Lord. I shall go and see to them now. I'm sorry, my Lord."

The old King could not help but smile at the boy who was so keen to please others and watched him as he ran - and tripped- back to the gates of the palace.

Annalynne was sat some way off on her own glistening horse of brown and white. She stroked the neck as a source of comfort, lost in the folds of her mind as she gazed into the distance unseeingly. The King turned on the horse, walking slowly over to Annalynne who suddenly snapped to attention when she noticed his approach.

"We'll head on out and the other two can catch up in a bit."

Annalynne nodded and smiled delicately, turning on her horse and automatically walking away towards the bridge, ready to go into the wooded lands of Corona just across the small sea.

The Queen came into step with her husband just as he was about to walk away. "Perhaps one of us should wait for Rapunzel and Eugene. It'll be easier to find you that way, I doubt they will be long."

The King paused for a second, contemplating, and then he grinned. "I shall see you soon, my Love." He said, reaching out and touching his wife's cheek affectionately. She smiled back, and tenderly touched her lips to his palm. His horse galloped after Annalynne, quickly separating the group.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author note: hi guys, as I said in a few chapters earlier (I think :S) I really am not feeling well, and that is partly the reason for the lack of update on the Wednesday. I did try to upload though, and typed the whole thing up on my phone, was very proud of it, and then my internet connection failed just as I tried to put it up, meaning I lost the whole thing when it didn't load the page! I was so frustrated, and because I was so ill, I had to just leave it because I just did not have the energy to type it up again.**

**Which means that this one I am now writing from scratch, but to save myself any more trouble, I have brought my laptop back for the weekend so I should be able to publish a bit more openly**

**Plus, I'm feeling quite a bit better, so all is looking brighter already :)**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this and don't hate me to much for not sticking to the schedule already :P**

* * *

The King felt a sense of cautiousness as the eeriness of the mystical forest clung to his skin like a humidity that he could not ignore. He felt it thick around him, eloping every crevice of his old and thinning body, causing instantly a sorrowful frown to frame his tight features.

He had not been in the woods of Corona for many years, though he longed to make a day out of it with his two daughters, his wife and his son-in-law, mainly because it had come to a stage in the bright summer where he realised the constraints of the castle keep.

Annalynne trotted on slightly ahead of the King, still seemingly oblivious to the world around her. The King watched her with a happy smile adorning his face, as he marvelled at how his young girl had managed to find her way back into their lives, especially so soon after Rapunzel had returned too. He could not help but feel an undying love for the two of them, despite their true limited time together given the viciousness of life.

* * *

Rapunzel rounded the corner on her horse, laughing excitedly as she raced Eugene to the bridge to meet her mother, ready for the days adventures. What she did not realise until the last moment, however, was that right behind the corner was the Queen, sitting upright on her horse and clearly expecting their appearance at any moment. Rapunzel pulled on the reins, and the horse stopped just an inch from her mother's own, who did not even flinch at the possibility of the collision, and instead, just sat with a bored expressions adorning its face.

Rapunzel laughed with nervousness and smoothed her hair behind her ear despite the fact that it just flicked back out due to the short length. Her mother smiled tightly, looking delicately amused, but also quite stern.

"So-sorry, mother..." Rapunzel began, but a sudden cheering from behind them announced Eugene's arrival. Indeed, just at that moment he came flying around the corner, riding triumphantly and shouting his own applause. It became clear that he did not see the Queen, for both she and Rapunzel knew that if he had, he would have come to a stop just like Rapunzel had. Instead, the excitable man continued his pounding into the distance. Rapunzel opened her mouth to explain for her and Eugene's reactions, when suddenly his voice came shouting back through the open centre towards them.

"Haha!" He called, "And you thought you were faster!" He disappeared over the bridge suddenly, leaving a sudden humoured silence between the Queen and her youngest daughter.

Suddenly, the two of them burst into laughter, heartily recognising the unusualness in the situation that just unfurled within seconds.

"Perhaps you would like to chase after him?"

Rapunzel shook her head, grinning happily. "I'm fine, mother. Once he realises that I am not pursuing him, he will wait for us to catch up to him."

The Queen turned on her horse and slowly started to walk away, instantly inviting Rapunzel into joining the more leisurely stroll. Rapunzel trotted to keep in step with her mother.

"Where is it that we are going?"

"Across the sea and into the further woods. Your father wishes to fish this morning, and after so many years only having the sea to entertain the sport there are only a limited number of fish to catch. So, he has decided that it is about time that he visits the old lake once more - that is, with the unsightly hope that it is still surviving."

* * *

Annalynne paused at a fork in the road, and turned to look at the King who was trotting up behind her quickly. He too stopped the horse, and together they both pondered the direction that they were meant to be heading in for the large lake.

The King had been providing the two of them directions through his lengthened memory, a desperate attempt to recollect the old times when he was at the lake and fishing pro-actively. Unfortunately, with his years of reign, he had come to have faded memories of so many years ago, and this particular fork in the road that they found themselves bound to brought a lack of recognition in the old king.

"Ah!" He cried suddenly as if he had figured out the great mystery of the world. Annalynne was brought out of her frown in a subsequent surprise that caused her to panic like a deer stumbling in front of the many hunters in the season.

The King automatically started to walk away without explaining his outburst to Annalynne, but she soon understood when she say that he was heading down the right pathway, and straight towards a person who was walking in the direction towards them, their head bowed and concealed in a dark cloak.

Annlynne's horse started to follow the King's on instinct, despite the fact that she never told it to go, not did she tell it to stay, so she decided the let it make it's own way.

"Good morning!" The King called happily, and the stranger looked up quickly in surprise, eyes wide and fearful as if they expected to be attacked. When they saw the royalty coming towards them, the panicked eyes appeared to widen even further, so much so that it seemed like the pale balls would roll out of the wrinkled skeleton and onto the floor. Instead of the eyes going, it was the entire figure that fell to the floor, marvelling in the presence of the royalty and insistent on showing their appreciation.

"My good King. My Lady!" They cried from the ground.

The King chuckled delicately though made it barely noticeable. "Stand up, good fellow. That's it." He leaned forwards on his horse imploringly. "I was hoping that you would be able to assist me this morning..."

The King began to describe the situation that he found himself in with the young princess - how they could not recall the way to the old Lake, but Annalynne found herself impenetrable to the sound of the kindly voice of the King as he expressed himself, and instead she found herself drawn into the mystic quality of the fair traveller who stood before them that very moment. What concerned Annalynne was the fact that the business of the stranger, so early in the morning, was not apparent, and, in fact, became suspicious instantaneously whence she questioned it herself. Anyone out so early, and especially this far into the woods, could only be out for one of two things. One: they were hunters; and two: they were looking for fruits. And yet, the figure possessed little more than the clothes on their back - not a basket nor a trap in sight.

Annalynne shuffled forwards suddenly on her horse at it seemed to become as restless as her thoughts, and she readied herself to question the stranger before her who she was certain was up to no good. But then the cold eyes of the stranger passed into her own, and she realised the true reflection of the person she was speaking to, and instead kept her mouth shut, though a chill suddenly passed through her spine and sent her sitting upright and suddenly attentive.

The traveller instructed the King to take the other pathway, and the King reached inside the bag at his side and pulled out a handsome gold coin that glinted in the sunlight streaming through the thick green leaves. He handed it down the the traveller who took it carefully, and exaggeratedly, yet convincingly, voiced their gratitude at the King's open affections.

"You have a nice day, fair traveller."

"Indeed, my Lord." They bowed once again, and the King turned on his horse and started to continue around the other bend and towards the lake, fresh on the instructions and directions that he had just been shared.

Annalynne paused for a moment longer and stared at the figure, watching the cold and dead eyes. The traveller grinned slightly, and looked up from the bowed position with a mischievous glint in their eyes.

"Annalynne, this way, my dear." The King called. Annalynne looked over to him gracefully and nodded. The King continued on his horse, and Annalynne turned back to talk to the traveller who was before her, but when she looked, the old woman who she despised had disappeared into the mysteriousness of the forest with a mystic wisp floating in the air where she formerly stood.

Annalynne turned and followed her father.


	11. Chapter 11

The lake was more serene and beautiful that Annalynne had expected. The way that her father had described it was, by far, not giving it credit enough. She stared in wonder at the colossal scale of the mixtures of the reds and the yellows and the greens, all creating a beauty that should only be preserved in paintings.

The sun was trying to stream into the lake, but the trees shielded it's beauty from the shimmering attack, causing random rays of yellow to splat onto the undisturbed water. It was so peaceful, so magnificent, that Annalynne felt that at any moment she might find herself falling asleep.

The King cooed in amazement and glory at being able to find the lake once again, and in a second, it all came flooding back to him his far off memories when he was last in the presence of Mother Nature's true form. Like a small child, the King dismounted, and then ran happily towards the waters edge.

Annalynne dismounted herself, still staring in wonder. When she finally managed the ability to draw her eyes away from the site, she tied both of the horses' reins to the tree. Then, she walked up to her father, who was just as stupefied as her. When he caught her approach, he began to show her the small things that seemed to throw him into an undying sense of wonder.

All the while Annalynne pondered what the old woman had cooked up for them today in the woods, and she began to wonder what devastating factor was to occur on their little trip.

* * *

Sure enough, Eugene was waiting for the two women when he realised that he was not being followed. Rapunzel and the Queen came over the small hill, to see Eugene waiting by a fork in the road, dismounted off his horse, with his arms folded over his chest and his leg bent against the post. He smiled at them, almost cocky at having been standing there for so long.

"My, my. You really are a slow one, aren't you?" He said to Rapunzel, and before she could reply, he turned to the Queen, loosening his posture. "My Lady."

"Eugene." She smirked, with a voice full of knowing that made both he and Rapunzel blush in unison. She didn't even stop her horse and continued on the path to the left. "I see you still aren't all to keen on these woods."

A ghost of a frown glimpsed over Eugene's face and he briefly looked at Rapunzel. But in an instant, his bold nature returned, and he jumped upon the horse. "I was simply waiting for both of you so you wouldn't feel so lost without me."

"Ah, yes..." The Queen cooed, humour lacing her soft voice as she started to tease him. "Because if you were missing, we would feel lost, and not relieved from the wise-guy always cracking jokes."

Rapunzel laughed, and Eugene scoffed with false hurt. "Oh! Please!" He trotted his horse so that it was almost in line with the Queens, just slightly ahead. "I am the saviour of women." He boasted, sticking his chest out boldly, "I am loved by many, and loved by all, and throughout it all, I keep my devilishly handsome good looks, and I keep your daughters' hand."

Eugene's comment caused the Queen to laugh heavily, and soon the joyous laughter became infections, so much so that Rapunzel soon joined in, both laughing heartily as Eugene marvelled in the glorious sound.

The happiness was stopped suddenly when they heard an almighty scream echo throughout the forest, and one with a voice that was identifiably to even the first person to ever hear her voice.

"Annalynne." The Queen muttered in worry. Eugene kicked his horse into a gallop and headed towards the disturbing sound, and the Queen and Rapunzel soon followed after him, fear drawing into their veins for the safety of both the King and the young Princess.

Rapunzel felt an air of stickiness drawn to her skin, and her old fears of the Corona Forests were drawn back as she remembered the many years that had spent trapped inside with Gothel. As she rode desperately, she could not help but fear that perhaps her history was about to repeat itself.


	12. Chapter 12

It was difficult to establish the scene that lay before them when they all came through the clearing and into the lake. It seemed almost natural; the occurrences that were appearing. The whole area was sheltered to an immense degree, and yet both the King and Annalynne were no where to be seen, though there horses will still tied to the tree. Yet the trees seemed to have bent themselves into a way to incline a path that the three new people should pass through, though this was not the first thing that they all noticed.

It was, in fact, the horses that made the whole scene become so unrealistic and unusual, for both of them were motionless in their spots, almost like porcelain figurines that had somehow been homed in the wild.

Rapunzel dismounted just as the Queen also went to. Eugene, who had already arrived at the scene moments before the two women had, had already got down off his horse and was exploring the vast emptiness before them. It was curious that the entire place seemed to have suddenly been cascaded into a frozen, and lost, time.

Eugene found the clearing of the trees, and he stood there for a moment, wondering if he should actually go through it to see where it led to - and more importantly, to see if the King and Annalynne lay some way beyond that.

Rapunzel found herself in a stunned silence, almost as if she was being forced not to speak. She wanted to call for her father and her sister, to try and get an answer from the both of them with some form of indication as to where they were, but she could not, even despite her best efforts to do so.

Eugene started to go through the clearing nature highlighted, and Rapunzel rushed forwards instinctively to be a part of the search beyond the area where they were supposed to be.

Eugene stepped forwards, his foot passing the border of the trees, and almost too quickly the trees appeared to suddenly close into themselves, sealing off the pathway - obviously intended to trap someone the other side of the lake. Rapunzel pulled Eugene's arm viscously, and they fell back onto the embankment before his foot could be consumed by the mystic forest.

The Queen appeared behind them, just as terrified at having seen what had just happened. She tried to speak, though her voice failed her, lost in the void of the lake. Eugene and and Rapunzel just stared up at her with confusion, unable to voice their own thoughts, but even more unable to understand what she was trying to say to them. Tears began to form in the Queen's eyes as the fear rose inside her of both the fate for her family with her, but also with her family that was missing.

A sudden splurge of exhaustion hit the Queen, almost as if something ethereal had zoomed through her body, and she stumbled suddenly, clutching her head as he vision blurred and faded. Rapunzel stretched upwards to catch her mother as she fell, and then suddenly Eugene went down, passing out as the same horror blurred through himself. The Queen fell into Rapunzel's outstretched arms, and into a sudden slumber.

Rapunzel panicked, seeing both her mother and her husband in a frozen state made her worry for their survival, though she had to comfort herself several times that they were still breathing. Yet what concerned Rapunzel the most was the fact that she was the one who was still awake, and she could not help but believe that it was for some unknown reason, and that the sleep of her mother and Eugene was because they were intended to be excluded from the scene that she was in.

She stood up, leaving Eugene and the Queen lying side by side, and she gazed across the expanse, trying to understand what was happening and searching or some sort of an answer to her concerns.

Her own horse, as well as that of Eugene and the Queen, had become frozen just like that of the King's horse, and Annalynne's. She could not understand why she was the one who was able to walk around freely.

It appeared to her so suddenly that she shuddered and almost cried when she saw the vision the other side of the lake. Dread ran through her veins, turning her blood cold and sending a shiver running up her spin and goose pimples crawling along her skin. She froze, much like the horses, but through an undying fear as she saw the old woman watching Rapunzel with a heavy and sadistic smile on the face.

Rapunzel gasped, and though she could not speak, her mouth morphed to the shape of the words that came to her mind as she recognised the cold and grey eyes that bore into her own.

'Gothel...'

The old woman smiled with recognition as she saw the name touch on Rapunzel's lips. She took a heavy step forwards, and Rapunzel stumbled back quickly despite the entire length of the lake being between them. There was a heavy cackle that come from Gothel, and a sudden flash in the sky, both causing Rapunzel to flinch in fear. She cowered and protected her sight, and then suddenly, it all come to an abrupt end, though tears already formed within her eyes. The thickness of the air suddenly cleared, and the forest seemed to become just that once again: a forest. When Rapunzel opened her eyes, Gothel had disappeared. The five horses were now animate once more, and continued in their ways as if nothing had hindered their performance of eating. The King had suddenly appeared, lying down beside the Queen, also in a slumber, though the three of them started to wake almost instantaneously and without an idea of what had just occurred in the horrifying minute that had just passed.

But it was Annalynne who occupied Rapunzel's thoughts, for she was not lying down beside the others who had been put into a sleep. No, Annalynne was standing, and she was very much awake, though it was her position the other side of the lake, in the exact place where Gothel had formerly stood, that made Rapunzel almost cry out with fear. Annalynne stared at her family the other side of the lake with an expression that seemed to state that she had no idea how she managed to get across the other side. Rapunzel watched her carefully, fearful of any actions that could come from her, and she instantly expected that Annalynne's loyalty was more questionable than she originally thought.

The King, Queen and Eugene all woke and sat up, hazed by their small sleep. Eugene noticed that Rapunzel was crying and he jumped up to her instantly, fretting over her feelings and curious as to why she appeared so frightened.

Rapunzel turned her teared face towards Eugene, her throat suddenly raw with fear. "Gothel," she managed to croak. "Gothel was here."

The King started to cough suddenly and violently, and all of the family turned to look at him as he spluttered and struggled for air. Rapunzel clawed and crawled her way over the him, and the Queen was trying to comfort him, though her voice was ultimately more panicked that she could control.

The King rolled over, and suddenly, frighteningly, he coughed up some strange form from his chest. It clapped onto the ground, suddenly looking full of life, though it did nothing. The clump was red, and looked painfully big - a huge clot of blood.

The Queen turned to Eugene, fear having drenched her face of colour. "Eugene, ride back to the palace and get help. Get a doctor." Eugene stopped for a second, staring at the suddenly ill King. "Now!"

* * *

**Hi guys :)**

**Sorry if this scene appears so confusing in events - hopefully all will become clear in the next few chapters! I'm a bit worried about this one, purely because with the process of this story I've changed my mind so much on the complexity of the events that are meant to occur, and as a result sometimes I confuse myself with how this is supposed to be ending and the direction in which it is supposed to be going**

**This chapter seriously needs to go through editing, I know it is very rough without even reading through it, so please bare with me as I try to get the story to a conclusion - I honestly don't think there are all that many chapters left to go (though I could be strongly mistaken - I don't even know where this story is going! I love improv writing ;P)**

**Anyway, let me know what you think, and how you think this story is going to turn out - I really want to know how you think this is all going to end!**

**Thanks for reading, guys, and your feedback so far has been absolutely fantastic :D**


	13. Chapter 13

Rapunzel had hidden away from days, her terror of Gothel haunting her at every waking moment. She continued to try and persuade herself that what she saw in the forest was something which was not conceivable, and yet, the more she thought about the circumstance, the more prevalent it became in her eyes, and the more she feared all those around her.

What she could not understand was how Annalynne seemed so calm about all the events that had happened, especially as she had stared so hard and so nonchalantly, as if she had no care that the King had mysteriously fallen ill, or that she did not even consider the horrifying reality of Gothel being there too. In fact, as soon as they had returned to the keep, she had been so calm about it that she simply resumed her normal duties, as if the King were not ill, and she continued to do so as he lay bedridden and constantly choking up the thick blood.

Eugene had tried everything in his power to get her to respond to him in some way, to get him to tell her what had happened, but she couldn't bring herself to say any word to him.

Her last confession of 'Gothel' had sparked a nationwide hunt for the weak old woman, and had returned nothing to show for the woman that Rapunzel had seen. There was no on in the forests, and no one in the towns that could account for the old woman who had been in the forest that day, despite many days of searching, and soon afterwards, considering no one else aside from Rapunzel had seen such a figure, the whole search was called off, leaving Rapunzel feeling humiliated and more alone than she had ever felt before.

* * *

Rapunzel walked the hallway slowly, lost in thought as she returned back from dinner with a full stomach and a soft spirit. The King had managed to gain extra strength, and had decided that he would dine with all this family that evening, and so he did. Rapunzel was relieved to see that he was better in himself, but she did not stay for long to entertain him, eating just a handful of food and then disappeared back to her bedroom immediately.

It was on her way back that she saw something which she did not expect to see that evening. As she stared at the mosaic floor, a commotion outside of the high window caught her attention, and she turned her head briefly to glance out of the window that looked down onto the carriage grounds. Instead of seeing the usual orderly regiment of the Guards, she saw an unexpected visitor starting to step out of the carriage, gazing up at the castle and full of wonder. Rapunzel stopped herself from walking on without looking properly, and instead she pressed herself against the cold glass and stared down, studying the figure that had emerged from the heavy black door.

A handsomely dressed man stood, pulling off his gloves and examining the famous structure before him, marvelling at its intimate and ornate architecture and the piercing white appearance of the walls. Rapunzel watched him with wonder, pondering who the man could be, and what significance he had for coming at such a time.

"He is one of the suitors who papa wants me to marry." Annalynne's soft voice spoke suddenly in the gloom of the hallway, and Rapunzel jumped at the sound that she had not expected, more surprised at the fact that it was Annalynne who was speaking to her since they had not spoken since the fatal day the King became ill. "Did he not tell you that he was coming?"

"Oh... um... no. No, I haven't heard anything about your suitors since we last discussed it." Rapunzel gushed, turning back to look out of the window. The young man had disappeared suddenly, and from the sound of things between the heavily echoing walls, he had just entered the building. "Perhaps we should go down then. I'm sure he would like to see you." Rapunzel pushed away from the window and went to walk away, but Annalynne moved across the corridor to block Rapunzel's path suddenly.

"Hold on." Annalynne said carefully, her eyes pleading and looking slightly hurt. "Rapunzel, why do you look so frightened of me all the time?"

Rapunzel frowned in confusion, "W-what do you mean?"

"Since we came back from the forest, you've been a lot different with all of us. Especially me. I wonder, did something happen?"

"I'm just worried about papa."

"No, there's something deeper to it, Rapunzel. I can tell. There's something in your eyes which is just saying that something else happened, something that has scared you - and for some reason, I've got a feeling that it is something to do with me."

Rapunzel breathed deeply, trying to calm her heavily beating heart. She turned her bright eyes up to Annalynne's, and swallowed resolutely. "It's not you that I am scared of, Annalynne. That day was just something which frightened me, what with papa, and I saw something that made me frightened."

Annalynne frowned, almost looking angry. "What was it?"

"Princess Annalynne! Princess Rapunzel!" A voice called from down the corridor, and the two princesses turned quickly to look for the source of the voice. Sarah, the maid, started to scurry up towards them, hair frazzled and her face flushed red with excitement. "At last I found you both. My Ladies, the King and Queen request your presence." She smiled broadly, and her grin brightened her cheeks ever more. "A guest has arrived, and my Lady Annalynne, I believe he has come to try to woo." Sarah said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Thank you, Sarah. Please, go back, and Rapunzel and I will start to make our way down there. We only wish to discuss something which each other for a moment longer."

Sarah nodded without question and ran back down the hallway, completely excited about the fact that a handsome young man had appeared looking for a bride. Annalynne looked back at Rapunzel and smiled carefully. "Please, Rapunzel, I'm your sister." She declared strongly. "I want to be close to you, so I need you to speak to me when something is on your mind. I want to help you, because honestly, I love you."

Rapunzel smiled warmly at her older sister. She considered how they had known each other just a small amount of time, though she knew that she now could not imagine life without her. She knew there was a lot of love and care between them, and she honestly could not wish anything bad upon her. But there was something strange that she still could not function her mind to see, and it made her weary.

"I love you too, Annalynne." She said, hugging her suddenly. Caught off guard, Annalynne stumbled slightly, but despite that she returned the hug warmly and tightly. They stayed like that until Rapunzel suddenly pulled away, taking Annalynne's hand.

"Come on, let us go and meet the guest. It would be rude to keep him waiting any longer."

* * *

The two princesses walked into the main hall, having rushed down there as quickly as they could carry themselves without injury. Eugene was waiting outside of the sealed doors for them, and when he saw them, he pulled a face at Rapunzel. He waited until they were close enough before he spoke.

"I do hope you know it's rude to keep a man waiting."

"And we shall offer our apologises to him when we are more formally acquainted." Rapunzel stated with a smirk.

"I was talking about me." Eugene muttered into Rapunzel's ear, putting his hand on her back and guiding her forwards as though she could not make the final few steps without his assistance. Rapunzel laughed warmly, seeking the comfort of Eugene's humour, and then the doors opened, revealing the three of them to the waiting guest.

The man was stood in the centre of the room, and when he heard the doors opening and then the servant announce the entrance the Prince Consort and the two Princesses, he turned around fluidly, an almost enthusiastic trace adorning his face as he searched for the face of Annalynne.

Annalynne stepped forwards suddenly and quickly, almost running towards the man. The entire court watched Annalynne's actions with confusion as the wonder etched onto her face suddenly made her seem lost in some other form of world. The man returned the look through his short blonde hair, his bright blue eyes sparkling, and a small smile gradually breaking onto his lips as he attempted to form words, but he could not seem to find the right ones to speak.

Annalynne stopped walking when she was just a few paces towards him, and she stood agape, looking at the man up and down in a complete sense of disbelief as she tried to register the reality that stood before her.

There was a sudden laughter as the two people embraced suddenly, shocking the court. The laughter was one of relief, as though they could not believe their luck.

"Oh my!" Annalynne gasped, smiling broadly. "I cannot believe it is you!"

He chuckled warmly into her ear, marvelling into the familiarity of her body and self. "I now can." He told her, and then hugged tighter.

Annalynne finally pulled away from him, still in a state of shock. She clutched his arms and stared at the King and Queen almost with gratitude, despite the fact that they seemed more confused than anyone in the whole building as to why the two had responded to each other in such a way.

"Did you-?" Annalynne started, but the monarchs instantly shook their heads.

"You two know each other?" Rapunzel suddenly asked, stepping forwards, and somehow also stepping into their enthusiasm as a broad, infectious smile adorned her lips and touched her cheeks.

It was the man who spoke suddenly. "My Lady," he said, bowing to Rapunzel suddenly, but snapping upright just as quickly. Rapunzel blinked, missing the action. "I am Sir Victor Perowne of Ibova," he declared, "forgive my hesitant introduction. But, yes, in answer to your question. We know each other well."

Annalynne turned to Rapunzel beaming, and Rapunzel was suddenly elated to see her sister happier than she had ever seen her before. Her tight brown hair had wriggled free of her bun slightly, but that did not disrupt her beautiful face which was no full of pure delight. "Victor and I have been friends for many years since we were children, but unfortunately we lost contact with each other and unfortunately lost each other in the process." Annalynne turned back to Victor, "is your mama here?"

Victor grinned. "No, my dear friend, but she sends her love. When she learned that I was coming to see you she was over the moon!"

"Oh, I do hope she is well. Who is it you came with?"

"An old friend." He said, turning to indicate his accompaniment. "Come here, Aunt."

A small woman stepped forwards, shyly toeing her way towards her nephew. Annalynne did not have to even see the eyes to know that it was the old woman in disguise, and that the man she was meant to deceive in affections was, in fact, the one man she was actually in love with. Her heart broke in a tiny minute when she realised what it meant for Victor, and she stared at him, opened mouth, not as bright, and with tears brimming in her eyes.

He, too, had dealt with the demons.


	14. Chapter 14

Rapunzel was hiding away in the library again, engrossed in her book and completely negligent to the outside world, so much so that she failed to realise how late at night it was.

The rest of the castle, aside from a few hand-maids and servants, had gone to sleep, but Rapunzel was lost in the smooth caress of the words of literature on the pages before her to consider even pausing for a night. She continued to hang over every word, and her lost intimacy meant that she did not even hear the slender footsteps padding softly over the hard floor.

"Rapunzel..." Annalynne whispered in the dark night air, and Rapunzel jumped from the sudden sound of the voice that she had been far from expecting to hear given the late time of night.

"Oh, gosh!" She exclaimed, clutching her chest as her heart started to beat rapidly. She then laughed, humoured by the events. "Annalynne, you scared me half to death! Why are you up this late?"

Annalynne smiled with delicacy. "I was going to ask you the same thing." She walked forwards in the gloom lit only delicately by the small candle that Rapunzel had by her side to aid to her reading, and then she sat down in front of her sister, crossing her legs awkwardly in the tightly enclosed space. "I went to your room, and Eugene told me that you were probably to be down here. I wanted to talk to you."

Rapunzel closed the book and leaned in towards her sister. "Is everything all right?" She said, with a frown curving her brows.

"I don't know." Annalynne confessed, though there was a cautiousness in her voice as though she hindered herself from saying to much, and the exact same time as not wanting to say too little. "It's to do with Victor."

"You say that as if you are worried, though when you saw him I have never seen you more happy."

"I am happy to see him, and I am more happy to have him so close." Annalynne said, her expression fazing out slightly as she walked into a daydream with herself and her old love. "It is just that I am rather worried for him."

"He is in trouble?"

Annalynne paused as she tried to confer with herself the best way to explain her situation without exposing her own faults. "To a degree, yes, I believe he is in trouble."

Rapunzel's voice softened to an even quieter mutter. "Serious trouble?"

"It's hard for me to say, since I have not spoken with him much since we were called away to discuss matters with papa."

"Perhaps you should speak with him."

"Papa?"

"No, Victor." Rapunzel advised. "Perhaps, if you did speak with him, then you would understand why you feel as though he is in trouble. He should be able to explain himself to you."

"I don't want to push any pressure onto him, though." Annalynne said quickly, thinking more for the fact that if she did ask him about his 'great-aunt', then it would be obvious that she was in a similar form of trouble to what he was involved with, and she would rather her own sinful affairs be kept out of the light. "Perhaps he becomes insulted if I ask such questions, and then I lose him again."

"I highly doubt that you would lose him. He came looking for you, after all! He's the one who wanted to find you, so it seems unlikely that he would be so willing as to let you go."

"I suppose you are right." Annalynne admitted, bowing her head.

"Are you worried that he might find out?"

Annalynne's head snapped back up so sharply it looked as though it perhaps would snap off her own body. Her eyes widened despite her best efforts to calm herself. "F-find out?" She whispered.

Rapunzel smiled for a different reason, thinking Annalynne's reaction to be embarrassment than problematic. "That you have loved him for long."

Annalynne felt relief flood through her like a balloon delicately releasing air. Her face softened, and her beating heart started to calm itself. "Oh..." She flushed. "Is it obvious?"

Rapunzel beamed. "I think I was the only one who noticed."

"How?"

"Because he makes you happy. And it was the same way that Eugene makes me feel."

Annalynne smiled coyly. "He does make me happy, and he has for as long as I can recall, but he has never felt the same way."

Rapunzel took Annalynne's hand. "Give it time and he will realise."

"Everything just seems to change so quickly, I barely have enough time to adjust. It still feels like a dream that he is here, and he is here for me."

"How do you know each other, then?"

"Oh, we were only young when we first met. I must have been just five, he seven. My 'mother' and his were close friends, having been working together in the fishing market, and so we were often taken to the work to help out when we could do at least a little bit of work together. And since we were in each other's company every day, we kind of just grew on each other, and soon we became very close. In fact, most of the time we were inseparable, and I went pretty much everywhere with him."

"When did you realise that you were in love with him?" Rapunzel asked cautiously but full of interest. Annalynne paused, and Rapunzel misunderstood the silence. "Oh, Annalynne, I did not mean to pry. Don't- don't answer it!" She giggled and pushed her hair back behind her ear, and again it slipped back out automatically.

"No," Annalynne said, and suddenly she smiled brightly. "I like talking about it, like this, with you. It's just so hard to recall a time when I did not, but I think when I really accepted the fact that I loved him was when I was about sixteen. I don't even know how - I just remember him swimming in the lake where we often played together during the summer months, and him trying to coax me into the water despite the fact that my mother had told me not to get wet that day. And he kept making me laugh, through these exaggerated means of trying to get my to obey him - and then he climbed out of the lake and chased me, and when he caught me it was then I sort of though 'Gosh, I love this. I love him'."

Rapunzel was watching in complete and utter wonder, her eyes blazed as he imaged the scene playing out, and she fell in love with her sister's story instantly.

"Sooo... since then?"

"Since then I have accepted it." Annalynne shrugged, and grinned teasingly. "And we all know about how you and Eugene came to be."

Rapunzel laughed. "True. He won't shut up about his 'valiant rescue' all the time, will he?"

"I love to hear it, it amuses me that he is so proud of you."

Rapunzel smiled. "And one day, I am certain that Victor will be the same with you. And if he isn't, then he is a fool, especially since he has such a wonderful woman who already loves him."

"I feel like a fool for letting myself get so easily attached, and so easily broken."

"Ah, but that's love, isn't it? To attach yourself until your two hearts become one." Rapunzel grinned and stood up swiftly with a stretch and a yawn. "Perhaps we should get to bed, it is rather late."

"Yes." Annalynne stood up took and Rapunzel took her arm in hers.

"I do think you should speak to Victor, no matter what. If you are worried about him, then let him know that, and let him see that you are willing to care for him in such a matter."

Annalynne nodded delicately. "I suppose so." She said slowly. "I shall speak to him tomorrow, if I get a moment alone with him."


	15. Chapter 15

**AHH! I'm back! Sorry that I have not uploaded for... gosh, how long is it? Ah while :S I took a break simply because of exams, which have no completely and totally ended! WAHOO! So, the laptop is back in my possession, and now I can upload a lot more frequently which is fantastic!**

**I am so so sorry that I have not been able to end this book so much sooner, but I promise that we are nearing the end so you won't have to deal with me much longer ;P I really do love writing this, so hopefully there will be more stuff from me in the future on this site!**

**Next month (I'm sure many of you have heard of this!) is CampNaNoWriMo (July 2014) and I am super excited for the challenge that it brings! I hope many of you will be joining too, but if you have not heard of it I sincerely suggest you should check it out - - it's great fun! Get your friends involved too!**

**And finally, (this is the final message, I swear and then I will get on with the story!) I took a big break from my YouTube channel recently (again because of the exams), and I have finally started to make gaming videos which is what I have been looking to do for AGES! And now they are up - and more importantly - they are working! Yay! I'm having so much fun doing them, and it would be brilliant if you could join in the fun on YouTube by watching the videos - even if it is just watching them! - and it would be amazing if you could comment and subscribe - would mean the world to me! :) Link is: **** subscription_center?add_user=shannonmclarke**

**You're all soooo awesome, and thanks for sticking! Here's the next part now - enjoy and let me know what you think too!**

* * *

_Annalynne's Journal_

_August 4th_

_I went out and brought this journal the earliest moment that I could get away from mama after she told me the truth. Father Jack suggested that any time I can't quite voice my opinions and thoughts that I should write them down. And after mama's confession I decided that that was the best thing that I could do. So, here goes..._

_Mama has just told me that I am the daughter of a King and Queen. At first, I did not believe her, for there were no monarchs around who had ever said that they had lost a child young - aside from the nice monarchs of Corona, but I know that several years ago they found her. But mama soon explained herself, and the way that she described everything made it seem a whole lot clearer. Plus, there was a sincerity in her words that suggested that she was no lying in the slightest, and it broke my heart to see her own break so easily in front of me through her guilt._

_The King and Queen had come to visit Gurita for some kind of business with the King, and whilst there the Queen gave birth to a young girl. But the baby was dead when she was born, and so the hand-nurse had to take the baby away and get rid of the dead body. Whilst she was taking the baby away, it suddenly woke in her arms and cried. The nurse went to rush back to the King and Queen, but the King of Gurita stopped her, and instead made her take the baby into hiding and raise the child as her own. Mama said that although his intentions were not fully explained then, she realised soon afterwards that he was planning to form an alliance between the other country and Gurita through a marriage that meant that there was a claim for the other country. The King and Queen left Gurita without knowing the truth about their baby, and to this day, as far as Mama knows, they still do not know. _

_She said that the baby that she took and raised was me. I am a Princess by right. _

_Mama cried the entire time as she was recounting her tale, and I cried too - I am not sure why, as I felt numbed to emotion. I felt neither sympathetic nor angry at Mama. I didn't feel happy nor sad that I now know the truth. I feel... blank. I don't think that there are any true words to how I feel._

_Mama said that she was thankful that the king had died without any male heirs, because she would hate for me to be exploited in such a way. I left then, and brought this journal._

_It's been several hours since I left the house, and I half wonder if she is worried for me as I have been out longer than usual. It's times like this when I wish Victor was around. I'm sat beside our lake - the hidden one that only we know about - and I miss him so much. He's been gone for almost a year, now. It feels like so much longer. He'd understand how I feel right now, even if I could not tell him directly._

* * *

_August 6th_

_Mama found some letters between herself and the King of Gurita. They spoke often about my fate. Later tonight, I'll take them and keep them in the book for a later cause._

_Ms. Fredrickson,_

_It would be best that if you did not message me on such matters in the near future - or the distant one for that. As far as I tell, she is your daughter, not that of some King and Queen, and when I have a son, she will marry them. Until then, I do not wish to hear from you again._

_Ms. Fredrickson,_

_I wouldn't threaten me with 'telling the truth' any time soon. Any such threats are considered treason, and I would easily cut off your head for such words. I have already warned you, lady, and this is your second warning. I do not care for your daughter's well being, and I do not care if she 'needs to know the truth'. All I care about is the well fare of my Kingdom, and as far as I am concerned, your daughter only plays the part of the pawn in my grand scheme of things. I will send word when I am ready to hear from you again and your acceptance of marriage between your daughter and my son._

_Ms. Fredrickson,_

_I am Queen Consort Lucina of Gurita, and I have found frequent letters off you to the late King regarding your daughter. From your responses, it is certain that he often replied to your messages._

_I do not entirely sure of the deeds that the two of you conducted for the future of the kingdom, but I am sure that those dreams are more dead than my husband. I am sure, as a citizen of Gurita, that you know that the late King has passed away and that now his eldest daughter has taken the throne to become Queen of Gurita. As a result, from the information that I can gather from your letters, your daughter has little cause to the line of the throne, and the Queen has made it clear that she has littler interest in the affairs of your daughter within the court._

_I suggest to you, Ms. Fredrickson, that you confess the truth to your daughter - the whole truth. Tell her that she is the daughter of monarchy, and tell her the twisted scheme that you and my husband concocted._

_I beg not to hear of you again, for the good of my daughters, and the welfare of Gurita._

_The Royal Lady, HRH Queen Consort Lucina of Gurita._

* * *

_August 11th_

_I spoke to Father Jack. It has been a week since Mama's confessions. He was puzzled and worried for the reasons behind my mother's deception, but he and I decided that living in secret and with such treasonous lies that I should find out who the former King and Queen who came to Gurita those twenty years ago was, and find a way to get back to them._

_I admit, such an idea does worry me. I have no idea where to begin, though I am desperate to know who they are. Are they still alive? It has been twenty years. Perhaps there were several monarchs who came to visit all those years ago? I have no way of knowing how to figure out who my parents really are. There is no-one alive (aside from mother) I know who is older than twenty and old enough to recall the events of all those years ago. Even Father Jack is just twenty-five, meaning that he would have no knowledge of those events, which worries me since he is the most knowledgeable man that I know!_

_It seems as if my pursuit for the truth is helpless..._

* * *

_August 14th_

_I have go through as many books as I can in the libraries of Gurita, and there is no information that I can find. It truly seems futile._

_The reality of it all is starting to dawn on me a bit now. Before, it was just a search for my parents and just a realisation that my mama was not my mother. Now, I am starting to realise that my mother is a QUEEN and my father a KING. It troubles me. If I do find them, then what will I do? Do I go and move myself into the court? Or do I just make myself known - and become a threat to their royal line._

* * *

_August 15th_

_I had to laugh today at the reality of events that I must leave silent in Gurita until I can find my true parents. Mama and I went to a tavern for some food, and there was a rather rude man inside. As she spoke harshly, I couldn't help but think to myself how I wished that I had the authority to tell him to silence himself. And then I realised that I did have such authority, for I was a Princess of a country. Which country, though, I could not say, so I decided it best to stay silent and just observe the commotions._

_He was soon kicked out of the tavern._

* * *

_August 20th_

_I am shaking with delight and yet also fear, so most of this will probably be illegible. But I must try to get down my thoughts as quickly as possible._

_I was in the market today, forgetting the issue of my parents and the princess malarkey, when an old woman tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to look at her, and she smiled broadly back at me with a gap toothed grin. I stared at her in confusion for a moment, and then smiled back and asked her if she was okay. She didn't answer my question, but instead requested that I follow her. Before I could question her motives, she moved off, and I was forced to follow for otherwise I would not know the truth._

_The woman took my into a tavern and into a private room, and for a moment I though that she was going to kill me or something, which made me incredibly frightened. But then she sat down and poured herself a pitcher of ale, drinking it slowly. _

_She told me that she knew about my parents._

_My heart at that point was in my throat and when she said that it flipped suddenly. I had stared at her in complete and utter disbelief, and then she pointed to the chair opposite her so I sat down. I stumbled out questions, and she answered them all with ease._

_She knew that my parents were a King and Queen, and that they were still alive, and they were still ruling. They were the King and Queen of Corona._

_I doubted her when she said that, and challenged her by saying that they had already found their lost daughter, but then she took my wrist and told me everything that mama had told me, even though I had not said a word to anyone aside from Father Jack, and I knew that he would not tell such things to such a random old lady as the one that sat in front of me then. So of course I believed her, for no one else knew that information. _

_Greater still, she said that she would help me, but it came with a horrific condition. If she were to help me, I had to help her. If we found my parents, everything that they owned became ours to share - that included the Kingdom. And further, throughout it all we were to be bound in blood so that if one of us deceived the other, the consequences would be shared too._

_She also told me that there was no way that I could get to Corona without her help. When I asked her why, she said that she was forced by the former King of Gurita to put a curse on me that meant I could not leave unless the curse was relieved, which still had not been done. My blood ran cold then as I realised the conditions and what was happening._

_The woman dealt in black magic._

_At that point I got up and left despite the fact that she was the closest thing that I had to finding my true parents and heritage. Walking away was perhaps the hardest thing that I had to do, but I had no interest in black magic, and I certainly did not want to be bound by it, and so I left the tavern without another word to the old woman._

_But as I walked away, I started to cry. She was the closest line I had to finding my parents, but the condition was that they lost their lives, all for their old daughter. I wasn't sure if I could such a thing to the family that I had never known._

_But then, if I don't accept the offer, then I perhaps will never have any other way of getting to them..._


End file.
